A California restraining order requires the restrained person to stay a specific number of yards away from the protected person and certain listed places, and the judge writes that number in by hand when the order is issued. There is no statewide minimum set by statute. The restraining order distance in California is most often set at 100 yards, but judges routinely order more or less depending on the facts. Whatever the number, crossing it knowingly is a criminal offense that triggers mandatory arrest.
How the Judge Sets the Distance
The official form used for domestic violence cases, DV-130, contains a blank field reading “must stay at least ___ yards away from” the protected person and the locations listed on the order. No California statute preselects a number. The judge writes one in.
One hundred yards, roughly the length of a football field, is the distance most judges choose and is widely treated as the standard starting point. Courts move off that number when the facts call for it. A judge who thinks 100 yards is too little can order 200, 300, or 500 yards. When the parties live in the same apartment complex or work in the same building, the court may set a shorter distance and pair it with stricter no-contact language. The threat level, the proximity of the parties’ homes and workplaces, and other practical details all factor in.
What the Distance Is Measured From
The stay-away distance is not a bubble that moves with the protected person. It is measured from the specific locations the judge lists in the order. Those almost always include the protected person’s home, workplace, and vehicle. When children are involved, the order typically adds their school or childcare facility.
The restrained person must stay outside the ordered distance from every listed location at all times, whether the protected person is physically there or not. Showing up fifty yards from an ex’s apartment at three in the morning because “nobody was home” is still a violation.
On a showing of good cause, the court can also give the protected person exclusive care and control of a household pet and order the restrained party to stay away from the animal entirely.1California Legislative Information. California Code FAM 6320 – Ex Parte Orders That provision reaches animals owned by either party or by a minor child living with either party.
When Proximity Is Not Automatically a Violation
A violation of the stay-away distance has to be knowing and intentional. That carves out a few narrow situations where closing the gap is not, by itself, a crime.
Accidental Encounters
Running into the protected person at a grocery store or public event is not an automatic violation. The moment the restrained person realizes the protected person is nearby, the obligation is to leave immediately and quietly. Lingering, making eye contact, or following at a distance turns an accident into an intentional act. Officers and judges are not naive about this, and the excuse wears thin fast if it keeps happening.
Court Appearances
When both parties are required at the same hearing, the stay-away distance is effectively suspended inside the courthouse. The restrained person should still keep as much physical space as possible in hallways and waiting areas and avoid any communication. Outside the courthouse doors, the full distance snaps back into effect.
Custody Exchanges
If the order allows child visitation, it will spell out exactly how exchanges happen: a specific neutral location, a set time window, and sometimes a third-party supervisor. The distance requirement is suspended only for the exchange itself. Not for the drive there. Not for the parking lot afterward.
Civil Standby to Collect Belongings
When the restrained person needs to pick up personal property from a shared home, the court can authorize a civil standby. A law enforcement officer attends, controls the timeline, and ensures the restrained person leaves immediately once items are collected. This is a one-time, court-authorized exception, not a general right to return.
Penalties for Crossing the Line
Knowingly and intentionally violating any part of a restraining order, including the stay-away distance, is a misdemeanor under Penal Code 273.6. A first offense carries up to one year in county jail and a fine of up to $1,000.2California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 273.6 – Intentional and Knowing Violation of Protective Order
Mandatory Arrest
When a peace officer responds to a reported violation and has probable cause to believe the restrained person had notice of the order and committed an act violating it, the officer is required by law to arrest on the spot. No warrant is needed.3California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 836 – Arrest by Peace Officer The officer verifies the order through the Domestic Violence Protection Order Registry or a copy produced by the protected person.
Escalation
Penalties climb quickly. A second violation within seven years that involves violence or a credible threat of violence can be charged as a felony. A subsequent violation within one year that results in physical injury carries a mandatory minimum of six months in county jail and a fine of up to $2,000.2California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 273.6 – Intentional and Knowing Violation of Protective Order Felony-level violations are punishable by 16 months, two years, or three years in county jail under California’s realignment sentencing rules.4California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 1170 – Determinate Sentencing
The Protected Person Cannot Waive the Distance
A common path back to jail is accepting an invitation from the protected person. It does not matter if they call, text, or show up at the door asking the restrained person to come over. The restraining order is a court order, not an agreement between two people. Only a judge can modify or terminate it. Contact made because the protected person asked for it is still a criminal violation.
Firearms Must Be Surrendered Within 24 Hours
Being served with a California protective order triggers an immediate firearms ban. Under Family Code 6389, the restrained person has 24 hours to surrender all firearms and ammunition, either to local law enforcement or by selling or transferring them to a licensed dealer.5California Legislative Information. California Code FAM 6389 – Relinquishment of Firearms Within 48 hours of service, a receipt proving the surrender must be filed with both the court and the law enforcement agency. Failing to file that receipt is itself a violation.
Federal law adds a second layer. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), anyone subject to a qualifying protective order is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition, with the order qualifying if it was issued after a hearing with notice, restrains harassment or threats against an intimate partner or child, and either includes a finding of credible threat or expressly prohibits physical force.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts A federal conviction carries up to ten years in prison.7Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Protection Orders and Federal Firearms Prohibitions The federal prohibition reaches only “intimate partners” as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(32), so a civil harassment order against a neighbor or stranger does not trigger the federal ban. California’s state surrender requirement still applies in that situation.
The Order Follows You Out of State
A California restraining order does not stop at the state border. Under the federal Violence Against Women Act, every state, tribe, and territory must recognize and enforce valid protective orders issued anywhere in the country. Crossing into Nevada or Oregon does not reset the clock. The order must have been issued after proper notice and an opportunity to be heard, and California’s standard process satisfies that requirement.
Full-faith-and-credit recognition covers every component of the order: stay-away distances, no-contact provisions, child custody and visitation terms, and firearm restrictions. Federal law also bars courts in any state from charging domestic violence victims fees to file, issue, register, or serve a protective order.